A definição de uma cidade média à luza da metropolização do espaço: o exemplo de Cabo Frio na rede urbana fluminense

Abstract

The concept of medium-sized cities is characterized by significant diversity, stemming from the broad heterogeneity present among the cities that fall within this category. This classification is shaped by distinct historical contexts and contemporary dynamics. Over time, parameters such as demographic size have stood out as important criteria for defining this category. With the technical and technological innovations of recent decades—especially during the transition from the 20th to the 21st century—and the shifts in capitalist forms of accumulation, urban spaces, including medium-sized cities, have undergone significant transformations. In this context, medium-sized cities have increasingly integrated contemporary dynamics typical of large metropolitan centers, incorporating areas contiguous or not to metropolises. This has resulted in greater network articulation and a redefinition of their roles, both in local intermediation and in connections with areas beyond their immediate reach. This thesis aims to define Cabo Frio as a metropolized medium-sized city, based on the premise that new urban dynamics, linked to contemporary forms of capital accumulation, have been manifesting significantly in the municipality. To this end, the relationship between globalization and metropolization is adopted as the analytical framework, in order to investigate recent transformations and their impacts on the socio-spatial organization of the city. The reflections developed through the bibliographic review, combined with the information obtained from empirical research, lead to the conclusion that, within the selected economic dimension, Cabo Frio—by undergoing metropolization, that is, by reproducing market strategies of urban spatial production that coincide with characteristics observed in major Brazilian cities such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo—exhibits multi-scalar network relationships. This process redefines its role as a medium-sized city while simultaneously reinforcing its position as a relevant regional center, attracting diverse flows and playing a fundamental role in the territorial dynamics of its area of influence.